Gonzalez chats with fans about new role

New special asst. to Hall gets up to speed in front office

By / MLB.com

Former D-backs outfielder Luis Gonzalez participated in a live Web chat with fans Thursday. Gonzalez chatted about what he hopes to accomplish and how he spends his time in his new role as special assistant. He also answered questions about the current D-backs team, 2010 Fantasy Camp and the Arizona Fall League.

Luis Gonzalez: Nice to join you guys this afternoon.

Newsman33: What do you hope to accomplish in your new role?

Gonzalez: I want to help the younger players develop a winning attitude and help them learn to play the game the old-school way.

djabeck: Just want to say how much my family is glad you are back with the D-backs. With all the coaching changes, any chance we may see you back in a uniform?

Gonzalez: I am glad to be back as well. My plans are to travel to the Minor League cities and spend time with the younger players. Out of uniform, I plan to spend more time in the community, broadcasting and with corporate partners.

alex28girl: I thought you did a great job in the broadcast booth. Have you thought about getting into broadcasting?

Gonzalez: Thank you. Next year I will be filling in on some games, but my main goal is to be around the organization and the players.

erboxer: Will you attend any fall league games?

Gonzalez: Yes, we have some of our players on the Scottsdale Scorpions, so I plan to see them play at some of the games.

pangelo: What school were you attending when you were selected to play professional baseball?

Gonzalez: I attended the University of South Alabama. Ironically, it is in the same city as our Double-A team, the Mobile BayBears.

azeeyore: I enjoyed watching you as a Cub and a Diamondback. How do you instill a work ethic such as yours into the young?

Gonzalez: A lot of times veteran players, with their presence in the clubhouse, make a huge difference in how you can relate to the younger players.

jaysbacks: How big of a role will you have at the 2010 Fantasy Camp?

Gonzalez: I am very excited to be part of my first fantasy camp with the D-backs. I am sure I will get the rookie treatment by some of the veteran guys that have spent a lot of time at the camp. There is still space available, I would love to see you guys out there.

pangelo: Are you going to visit the D-backs every once in a while?

Gonzalez: I am in the office most days at my desk trying to learn the ropes of the front office and learning about the younger players' background.

dabears09: Are you and Kurt Warner friends?

Gonzalez: Yes, Kurt and I are friends and I am a huge fan of his and the Arizona Cardinals.

snakesforthewin: Hey Gonzo, so glad you came back! What do you see in the current team as compared back to when you played with us?

Gonzalez: The teams in the past had a lot of veteran players, the current team has a lot of young up-and-coming stars. The older team had knowledge and age, whereas the younger team has better talent than we had, but is still learning not to make mental mistakes.

skapunklvr: I have an awesome purple No. 20 shirt that I want you to sign so badly! I go to ALL of the games and hope to see you there!

Gonzalez: You can always send your shirt to my attention at the office for me to sign it.

cjs10: Do you live in Arizona full-time?

Gonzalez: Yes, Arizona is my full-time home and has been since I came here in the trade in 1999.

skapunklvr: What is it like to work with Derrick Hall?

Gonzalez: Well, Derrick ... just kidding. It has been awesome. He pretty much lets me express my opinions on different front-office matters and it has really been a lot of fun for me to working here for this past couple of months.

jaysbacks: What is your opinion on maple bats? Do you think they cause more of a hazard than good?

Gonzalez: I am not a big fan of the maple bats. I used ash my whole career. It just seems like the maple bats are the ones that are always flying into the stands.

djabeck: Do you ever get together with some of your old D-backs teammates?

Gonzalez: From time to time I talk to a lot of my former teammates and I am very excited that in 2011, the year of the All-Star Game here at Chase Field, will be the 10-year anniversary of our world championship season.

Gonzalez: Thank you all for taking time out to chat with me for the last half hour. I can't wait for next season and hope you all come out to Chase Field to watch this exciting team.

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.